Walk Softly, Somnambulist
by LyricalSinger
Summary: Merlin has many secrets: magic, the ability to command the dragons ... sleepwalking. A/N: this story was excellently beta'ed by sarajm whose comments and ideas made it so much better! Special thanks to Wil1969 for the beautiful cover!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

It had been a week that could only have been born of nightmares and it had left Merlin exhausted and ill.

Camelot was hosting several of the nobles who held estates nearest to the city and each had brought along their sons, partly to strengthen their ties to Camelot, but also to better acquaint the young men with the future King.

Five young men, the Lords Pytor, Graham, Michael, Samuel and Kendrick, had arrived with their fathers and were immediately handed over to Arthur. It would be his duty to keep the young men entertained over the course of the visit.

As the men-at-arms, servants and horses that made up the entourage milled about the courtyard in a scene of controlled chaos, Uther greeted Lords Alan, Richard and Darvil and their offspring. Gesturing to Arthur, who stood at his father's side, Uther announced that the prince would take charge of the five young men and show them around the castle before the welcome feast that was to be held that evening.

Arthur glanced over towards Merlin, who was standing a little behind him to his left and whispered with a smirk, "And so it begins again!"

Merlin had to smother a laugh at Arthur's comment – the last group of visiting nobles, who had only left the previous week, had been … interesting … to say the least. Those two lords had arrived with entourages large enough to rival a king's and felt no qualms about demanding they be treated in a manner equal to, if not better than, Uther himself. By the time they were waved out the castle gates, Uther was frustrated, Arthur was annoyed and Merlin was ready to collapse and sleep for 24 hours straight.

This gathering, though, was already starting off better. The three older men were trusted allies who had stood by Uther through thick and thin. As well, they were also old friends and Uther was looking forward to spending some time with them.

Their sons were of an age with Arthur, and over the course of the past few years Arthur and one of the young lords, Pytor, had become quite friendly. Arthur had met the others once or twice, and he was looking forward to getting to know each of them better.

"Arthur!" cried Pytor after he bowed to Uther and took leave of his father. "It's been too long."

"Pytor," responded Arthur, clasping the other man's arm. "It's good to see you. How are you?"

"I'm well, Arthur, very well indeed. I was sorry to miss the last tournament Camelot hosted, but I was escorting my sister to her new husband's home in Aldrich." Pytor then turned to a slightly-built youth about 3 years his younger and gestured him forward. "Arthur, I don't believe you have met my younger brother, Kendrick."

Kendrick stepped forward, bowed to his prince, and said, "It's an honour to meet you, Prince Arthur."

"The pleasure is mine, Kendrick. Welcome to Camelot!"

"Thank you, m'lord."

The other young men approached and soon the six of them were chatting and laughing. Merlin stood back and watched Arthur interact with the young nobles. He was impressed at how his master was handling himself, as Merlin knew all too well that these types of gatherings were never a favourite with Arthur. Of course, it helped that they all knew each other slightly, and from a first glance it seemed that the visiting young lords were quite easy-going.

Caught up in his thoughts, Merlin didn't hear Arthur call his name. It was only when he felt a light smack on his shoulder that he focused his gaze and saw Arthur standing in front of him with a fond and slightly exasperated look on his face.

Turning back to the young men, Arthur said, "This rather inattentive fellow is my manservant, Merlin. While he may not be the brightest light in the room, he is relatively capable and quite well organized. If you require anything in the coming days, I know he will be pleased to provide whatever assistance he can."

Merlin sent a rather pointed look in Arthur's direction before bowing to the young men standing before him. "I will arrange to have your things placed in your rooms," said Merlin, "if you will just tell me which bags belong to whom."

While they men had been getting reacquainted, seven or eight different bags had been placed in a pile at the bottom of the stairs; the bags obviously belonged to the young men but unfortunately there were no distinguishing markers to show who owned which bag.

A chorus of "that's mine there" and "the black satchel belongs to me" and "I've got the two smaller ones" came at Merlin so quickly that he didn't have the chance to match up the face of the owner with each bag. And then, without another word, Arthur and his guests headed up the stairs into the castle proper.

Merlin watched, annoyed but not surprised, as the men disappeared into the castle and he was left facing a pile of baggage with still no idea of who owned which bag. "Well," he muttered to himself, "I can at least get them into the castle and to the rooms. I can figure out where each bag goes later." Fortunately, the young men had been given rooms near Arthur's chambers, so at least Merlin wouldn't be forced to travel the length and breadth of the castle to deliver the luggage.

With a sigh, Merlin began gathering up the bags while at the same time looking around to see if he could find someone to give him a hand. While he could manage four or even five pieces of luggage, eight was out of the question. Unfortunately, it seemed that everyone had returned to their duties, because the only people left standing in the courtyard were Merlin and one of the stable lads who had his hands full with the reins of three horses.

The clatter of heels sounded as someone made their way down the stone steps and voice said, "Merlin, is it? Here, let me help."

Looking up, Merlin saw that the young Lord Kendrick had returned and was in the process of picking up the last three bags.

"Thank you, my lord, but it's fine. I can handle it," responded Merlin.

"I'm happy to help," responded Kendrick. "After all, I'm sure you didn't catch who owns which bag and after two days of traveling, I am intimately acquainted with the luggage. Who do you think was in charge of ensuring that it was delivered each night and then packed up again each morning?"

"Oh, um ... well, thank you my lord," said Merlin. "You are absolutely right – they all spoke so quickly and over each other that I have no idea which bag belongs where," added the young man with a laugh.

"If nothing else," said Kendrick with a smile, "I can at least prevent you from having to make two trips and also ensure everyone gets the correct luggage. So, lead the way Merlin; I am ready to follow."

Merlin grinned at the other man as they turned their feet towards the stairs and, eventually, the bed chambers.

Kendrick was indispensable, as not only did he make sure Merlin delivered the proper bags to each room, he also gave the young warlock some "insider information" on each of the young men that were now accompanying Arthur on a tour of Camelot.

As was obvious from their initial introduction in the courtyard, Kendrick was Pytor's younger brother. Graham and Michael were twins and Samuel was the only boy in a family of 6 children.

"You all seem to get along very well," said Merlin as he placed Pytor's bag in his chamber. Kendrick had already dropped his bag at the far side of the large bed and had collapsed across the covers.

"Yes, well, Pytor and the others have been friends for years. Fortunately for me, they never seemed to mind when I tagged along after them so, yes, I guess we do rub together nicely. I know Samuel is always happy to spend time away from his five sisters – all of whom are younger than him. But you have to watch out for Graham and Michael; they are great fun, but sometimes go a little far with their pranks. Oh, they never mean any harm but they seem to egg each other on with little provocation and it's never a good thing if you end up in their cross-hairs!" said Kendrick with a chuckle.

"Well, my lord, shall I leave you to rest or would you rather try to locate Prince Arthur and the others?"

"First off, Merlin, please … my name is Kendrick. When we are alone, please call me by my given name. The whole 'my lord' thing has never sat well with me; especially as my father is not one to be swayed by titles. He judges every person on their worth, not on their name, and he has taught Pytor and myself to treat people in the same manner as he does. I understand that when we are around others, we must be formal – but can't we be friends otherwise?"

Merlin grinned at the young man and said, "Thank you, Kendrick; I'd like that. But you still didn't answer my question. Shall we go find Arthur or will you wait to see them at the feast?"

Kendrick was just about to reply when the door to the room opened and Pytor and Arthur stepped in. "And this is your chamber, Pytor," said Arthur.

On hearing the two young men, Merlin turned and nodded his head towards Arthur and Pytor.

"Ah, there you are Merlin," said Arthur, "I was wondering where you'd gotten to. Have all the bags been delivered … to the right rooms?" asked Arthur with a grin

"Yes, Arthur," answered Merlin in a rather put-upon tone. "Everything has been delivered and to the right rooms."

Just then, Kendrick sat up and said, "Honestly, considering the way we all spoke over each other outside, I'm surprised Merlin remembered anything we said. He didn't even need my help," he added. A bit of a white lie, but Kendrick had found that Merlin was a kindred spirit and he wanted to stand up for the other man.

"Kendrick," said Pytor with a start. "I thought we'd lost you along the way. I should have realized that you'd latch on to the one person who could point you to the nearest bed so you could have a nap!" Turning back to Arthur, Pytor added, "Kendrick was very ill with pneumonia over the winter and has only just begun to regain his strength. He is doing very well, but still tires easily."

On hearing his brother rambling on about his recent illness, Kendrick flushed red, partly in embarrassment and party in anger and said, in a short tone, "I'm _fine_ , Pytor. And I'm sure Prince Arthur doesn't care about whether I was sick over the winter or not. _Honestly_!"

"Kendrick, please don't be upset," said Arthur in a calming tone. "I'm sorry to hear you weren't well, but you look to be in fine shape now. I'll leave the two of you to rest. I'll send someone to direct you to the Great Hall when it's time for the feast. Come along, Merlin. Leave our guests alone. I'm sure Kendrick has had enough of your blathering on for one day!"

Kendrick sent Merlin a raised eyebrow and Merlin grinned back at his new friend as if to say, "Nothing unusual here. I'll see you later" and quickly headed out after Arthur, gently closing the door behind him.

* * *

Merlin had to scurry to catch up with Arthur who was already half-way down the hall and apparently had begun issuing orders to his manservant without realizing that the man was not behind him.

"…and so I need you to make the arrangements. We'll be leaving right after breakfast," concluded Arthur.

"Hunh?" said Merlin

Arthur stopped short and turned towards Merlin. "Were you not listening? Honestly Merlin, sometimes I think you should have your hearing checked!"

"Oi," responded Merlin rather indignantly. "You would have missed half the conversation if I had been talking to you when I was at least half a hallway ahead of you!"

"Hmm," said Arthur, rather embarrassed, though he would never admit it aloud. This wasn't the first time he had begun talking to Merlin without realizing that the other man was not even there. Arthur had grown so used to Merlin's presence at his side that it often never occurred to him to check the servant was actually there before he began issuing instructions.

"Well," continued Arthur, "what I said was that I am planning a two-day hunt for our guests and we'll be leaving tomorrow. We won't be going far, so it will be just me, the Lords Pytor, Kendrick, Graham, Michael and Samuel, and you of course, to take care of the horses, set up the camp and handle the cooking duties. We'll be departing immediately after breakfast tomorrow, so you'll need to get everything organized tonight.

As well, you'll be serving Pytor, Kendrick and I at the feast tonight, so please arrange to have someone available to serve Michael, Samuel and Graham. And speaking of Kendrick … I didn't realize he had been ill. You seemed to have spent a bit of time in his company this afternoon; does he seem well enough to come on the hunt with us?"

"It certainly wasn't apparent he was recovering from any illness, at least not that I could tell. He offered to carry his own bag and seemed to do so without any difficulties, so I shouldn't worry, Arthur. Besides," added Merlin with a grin, "it seems like his brother is very concerned for his welfare so I'm sure Lord Pytor won't let him get away with anything that could prove to be harmful!"

Arthur snorted and said, "I do believe you're right on that point, Merlin."

By this time, the two had arrived at Arthur's chambers. "Merlin, I would like to have a bath before dinner, so please arrange it. Also, lay out my clothes and ensure my boots are polished. I've got to have a quick word with my father before I ready myself for the feast. I won't need you before dinner, so I'll see you later. And make sure you're on time for once! I don't need to be embarrassed by your usual tardiness."

Merlin watched his master stride down the hallway towards the Small Hall, where Uther was meeting with the senior nobles. "I'll take care of everything, Arthur," he called. A negligent wave of a hand was the only response he got.

Pushing open the door, Merlin stepped into Arthur's rooms and began to lay the man's clothing on the bed, mumbling to himself all the while. "I don't know how he thinks I'm going to get everything organized before tomorrow morning. I've only got an hour before the feast is to start. I'll need to make a list of the supplies for the hunt, and get myself cleaned up before the bell rings for dinner."

Realizing that it was going to take several hours to get everything in place for the hunting trip, Merlin moaned aloud, "It's going to be a long night!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Merlin was not mistaken – it definitely turned out to be a long night for the young servant.

Once he had laid out Arthur's clothes and arranged to have a bath readied for the prince, Merlin took off at a run to Gaius' chambers. He still had some deliveries to make for the physician and he'd not had any time during the day to do them. Of course, the medicines just _had_ to be for people with rooms situated all over the castle. And let's not forget the two deliveries he had to make in the Upper Town. By the time he'd finished, he'd barely had time to wash his face and hands and brush his clothes before he had to meet Arthur at the Great Hall.

Merlin then spent the next four interminable hours standing behind Arthur's chair making sure that his goblet and those of his guests were always filled with wine. Fortunately, he managed to step away for a couple of moments to send messages to both the Head Cook and the Head Steward listing the supplies that would be required for the hunting trip.

The Feast seemed to drag on, at least in Merlin's mind. Everyone was having a wonderful time; so much so that the guests seemed reluctant to seek out their beds. Finally, well past the deep watch bell, people began to leave their seats and wander away from the Great Hall towards their rooms.

Despite the Feast finally coming to an end, Merlin knew his day was still far from over.

He accompanied Arthur to his rooms and while Arthur prattled on about the hunt the next day, Merlin quickly gathered together the few items that the prince would need on the trip. He packed Arthur's bag, grabbed the spare bed roll from the wardrobe and, after bidding the prince "Good night", he hurried back to his room to drop off the bag.

From there, the tired young man made his way to the Head Steward's chambers. It was very late by that point, and though the Steward had already left to seek his own bed, he had placed a pile of items just beside the door along with a note indicating that the only things missing were the three tents and one bedroll and a promise that the missing items would be delivered to the courtyard in plenty of time the next morning.

His next stop was the kitchens, where Merlin began loading several bags with foodstuffs like bread, cheese, carrots, parsnips, beans, several wine skins and a few handfuls of different herbs. Then he made his way to the storage cupboards to locate a couple of pots, some bowls, spoons and a few knives.

Once he had all those items, one last stop got him the wash cloths and other sundries that he'd need to ensure that Arthur and the others would have no complaints about the quality of the care they received while away from the castle.

Loaded down with various bags and other items, Merlin then returned to the Head Steward's chambers and added his items to the pile already waiting. _At least I won't have to drag everything out to the courtyard in the morning_ , he thought with relief, as he gazed at the large heap of items that he'd have to load onto the two pack horses that they would be bringing along.

"Luckily I don't have to worry about getting the horses ready," murmured the servant as finally turned towards his own room and his bed. The Stable Master would ensure that each horse was groomed and saddled and carried enough hay for three days.

By the time Merlin made it back to his rooms, the sky was changing from a deep blue-black to a lighter shade, streaked with faint hints of pink. The young warlock was so tired he could barely see to place his feet one in front of the other. He stumbled up the five stairs to his room and collapsed on his bed. He did manage to toe off his boots, but that was it. He was asleep before he could even shuck off his jacket or pull up his blanket.

Soon enough, and rather too early in Merlin's mind, the clatter of the changing of the guard roused Merlin from his sleep. He'd only managed about three hours of sleep and his eyes felt like they were full of grit. Changing his clothes and throwing a few things into his own pack, Merlin grabbed Arthur's bag and made his way down the stairs to the main room of his shared chambers. Gaius was already up and stirring something in the pot sitting over the flames, and there were four small vials placed in front of Merlin's seat at the table.

"Merlin," said Gaius, "I know you've got a great deal to do this morning before leaving on the hunt with Arthur, but I would appreciate if you would deliver at least these four medicines before you leave; the others can wait until your return. I'd do it myself, but I've been summoned to a council meeting this morning so won't have any time."

"Of course, Gaius," responded Merlin, "I'll take care of it." He wasn't sure how he was going to manage it, but it was only a few deliveries. They couldn't take too long, could they?

"Here, sit down my boy. I can at least ensure that you've had something to eat before you go haring off across the castle for me."

Merlin wolfed down his breakfast and once he'd finished, he grabbed the two bags, stashed the four vials in his pocket and rushed out the door. He still had to rouse Arthur and bring him his breakfast before he could even consider making Gaius' deliveries.

"I'll see you in a couple of days," he called over his shoulder to Gaius, as he pulled shut the door with a bang. By the time Gaius had recovered from the whirlwind that was his ward that morning, his "Take care, Merlin," was too late to be heard.

Stashing his and Arthur's bags in a quiet, clean corner of the kitchen, Merlin grabbed the tray that held the prince's breakfast and made his way towards Arthur's chambers. A quick rap on the door heralded Merlin's arrival. Unfortunately for him, Arthur was still dead to the world, breathing deeply (Merlin had been told on several occasions that Arthur "did not snore, thank you very much" – but he knew snoring when he heard it!) and curled up in his blankets.

Smirking slightly, Merlin set the tray on the desk, yanked open the curtains, whipped Arthur's blankets down to the end of the bed and said loudly, "Arthur! Time to get up. Don't dilly-dally; _I've_ got too much to do today for _you_ to laze around in bed."

A snarl followed by a moan was the only response to Merlin's jibe, but at least Arthur sat up and placed his feet on the cool tile floor. "Really Merlin, did you have to yell?" asked the young prince with a slight whine. "Why can't you ever wake me with a gentle 'ahem' or a soft nudge? No, you seem to find it necessary to barge in here like a large bull and make enough noise to raise the dead!"

"Well, Arthur," said Merlin as he turned from the desk towards the wardrobe to gather Arthur's clothing for the day, "I'd be happy to wake you with a gentle tap or a quiet word, but that's never worked in the past. It seems the only way to get you up and out of bed is with a shove and some yelling!"

Arthur grumbled, but had no come-back to his servant's comments. Merlin was right – once he was asleep, Arthur was notoriously hard to waken.

"Fine, whatever," responded Arthur as he seated himself and began to dig into his breakfast. "Is everything set for today?" he asked around a mouthful warm honey bread.

"If my mother saw you right now, she'd give you a slap on the back of the head!" said Merlin with a grin.

"What?"

"Did no one ever teach you that it's rude to speak with your mouth full?" asked Merlin with a twinkle in his eye. "As to your question, yes, everything is ready. I've got a couple of deliveries to make for Gaius and then I'll be in the courtyard to load up the pack horses and making sure I've got everything I need to make camp. The only things I haven't seen are your guests' bags."

"Oh, don't worry about those, Merlin," responded Arthur, after he had swallowed down a bite of cheese. "They all agreed to carry their own personal effects."

"Oh, that's good news," said Merlin. "I was beginning to wonder how I was going to pack everything on two horses!"

"I have faith you'll figure it out, Merlin. You usually do. You must be a wizard at packing because I honestly don't see how you manage to get everything organized and loaded, every time, no matter the amount of equipment. It's actually quite amazing!"

Merlin simply grinned at his master and said, "Practice, Arthur. Plenty of practice. I'd like to get started on Gaius' deliveries, so if you're finished with breakfast …" Merlin's voice trailed off and he gave Arthur a soulful look.

Arthur glanced at his servant and laughed. "Enough with the puppy dog eyes, Merlin. I get it! Besides, I have to meet with Father before we leave, so once I'm dressed, you can straighten up in here and make your deliveries. I'll see you in the courtyard by the mid-morning bell."

It only took a few moments for Arthur to dress and leave his chambers, and it took Merlin even less time (and the judicious use of a little magic) to straighten up the room, gather the breakfast tray and head back towards the kitchen to retrieve the bags he'd left there earlier.

Once he had delivered Gaius' medicines, Merlin made his way to the courtyard where he found the pile of various bags, tents, supplies for the hunt and the two pack horses patiently waiting.

A clatter of hooves announced the arrival of the five young lords' horses, together with Hengroen, Arthur's mare. Not long after, the air was split by the laughter of the six young men as the hurried down the wide stone steps and made their way towards their mounts. They were up and ready to depart long before Merlin had even made a dent in the pile of belongings to be loaded on the packhorses.

Seeing that the young men were waiting, rather impatiently, for Merlin to finally saddle up, and knowing that would take while for him to get everything organized, Merlin quickly approached Arthur's side.

"Arthur," said Merlin as he grasped the horse's reins and looked up towards the blond. "There are still a few things that I need to gather before I can leave. I know you were planning on having us camp at the old oak clearing west of the castle. Why don't you and the others go on ahead and once I've got everything settled here, I head straight to the clearing and set up camp. You know you don't really need me while you're hunting."

"That is actually a good idea, Merlin," said Arthur with a grin. "We'll be at the site by dusk, so just be sure that you've got everything set up by then and are ready to start cooking. We'll be supplying the meat."

With everything settled, the men took their leave of Camelot, but not before Kendrick made a point of directing his horse over to where Merlin was standing staring at the large pile of equipment and bedding that still need to be loaded onto the two pack horses.

"Are you sure you'll be all right with all this Merlin?" asked Kendrick. "It's just … well, there's quite a bit to do and, honestly, you look exhausted."

Merlin smiled up at the young man. "I'll be fine, Kendrick, thank you. I've done this often enough to know that it won't actually take too long to get all this organized. I'll be at the meeting point with plenty of time to set up camp. Enjoy the hunt, and I'll see you later."

"Well, if you're sure Merlin," said Kendrick slowly and in a slightly disbelieving tone.

"I'm sure. Now, go before the others decide to leave you behind!"

Kendrick gave the servant a grin, and with a final wave took off after Arthur, his brother and the others who were already making their way across the crowded courtyard towards the main gates.

Merlin watched the retreating backs of both men and horses before turning his attention back to the pile at his feet. Kendrick had not been wrong in his assessment of Merlin's physical state, but there was little he could do about it now. If he was lucky, he could get the camp set up and still leave himself a bit of time to rest.

But right now, he had to get everything loaded onto the two very patient horses and that, in itself, was going to be quite an accomplishment!

It took a quite a bit of manoeuvring, some extra lengths of rope and a teensy bit of magic, but it took Merlin less time than he expected to have the pack horses loaded up, his and Arthur's bags strapped to his saddle and his horse's head pointed towards the main gates. One last look around to make sure that nothing would slip or become dislodged and he slowly made his way across the courtyard and out to the main road.

It was turning out to be a lovely morning; the sun was high, there were few clouds in the sky and while warm, there was a lovely breeze that kept it from seeming too hot. The only sounds to be heard were the calls of the songbirds, the creaking of his saddle and gentle _clip clop_ of the horses' hooves as they made their way along the well-used road. Merlin took a deep breath of the clean, crisp air and smiled to himself. Yes, he may have had less than three hours sleep, and yes he was feeling quite tired at the moment, but the fresh air and gentle warmth of the sun were making his spirits rise.

Looking around, Merlin laughed aloud and giving his horse a pat and a scratch under her mane, he gathered the lead ropes of the pack horses more tightly and nudged his horse into a quicker walk. It was going to be a good day, he could tell!

It didn't take too long for Merlin and his train of horses to reach the clearing where Arthur and the others would arrive later in the day. It was a medium-sized swath of grass surrounded by blackberry bushes and with a small creek cutting through one corner of the space. Best of all, it was guarded by a large, spreading oak whose leaves offered shade and whose low-hanging branches had proven to be quite handy on many occasions. It was a well-known camping spot and a particular favourite of Arthur's.

On the way to the clearing, Merlin had planned out exactly how his afternoon would proceed. First, he would unload all the equipment from the horses and hobble them in the shade of the tree. Next, he would quickly set up the tents, make sure he had enough wood for the fire and then – if things had gone according to plan – he would have a bit of time to relax and possibly even take a short nap. He was so tired that the gentle swaying of his horse beneath him was actually starting to put him to sleep.

Unfortunately, though, Merlin's plans were for naught. When he arrived at the clearing, he took one look around and moaned, "Noooo!" There had been a rather violent wind storm the week previous and it had wreaked havoc on the clearing. What was once a smooth expanse of short, green grass and clover was now covered in a collection of broken branches and leaves; even a small tree had been uprooted.

"All right … fine," snapped the tired young man as he slid from his horse. "I guess I'll be _cleaning_ up before I can _set_ up." Taking a look around, Merlin wondered if he could get away with using a bit of magic to help speed up the process, but as the clearing was well-known to Camelot's inhabitants, and it wasn't uncommon for Arthur to show up when least expected, the young warlock wisely decided that brute strength would be the safer option. "At least we'll have plenty of wood for the fire," he told his horse as he untied the leather straps holding his and Arthur's bags to the saddle.

And so, the dark-haired servant got to work. First, he unburdened the horses of their loads and make sure they were comfortable and safe before he tackled the camp site. It took him several hours before he managed to get all the wood gathered up and broken down into small pieces fit for burning. At least the sapling that had blown down in the wind had landed in a convenient location – close enough to the existing fire pit that it could be used as seating, yet also far enough away so as not to impede on the open space where the tents would be pitched.

Next, Merlin set up the three tents the Head Steward had gathered for him. There was one large one that would do very well for Graham, Michael and Samuel. One of the smaller tents would be for Pytor and his brother Kendrick, while Arthur and Merlin would share the second small one.

Finally, he bundled all the foodstuffs together – save for those vegetables that would go into that night's dinner - and hoisted them up to hang high in the oak tree's branches. "No sense tempting fate," he said aloud. "Everything should be quite safe up there."

Looking around at the temporary home, Merlin was quite pleased at the set-up. A glance up to the sky showed that it had taken him longer than expected to get everything arranged, but as the only thing left to do was prepare the vegetables for dinner, Merlin was sure he'd be able to get at least a few moments to rest and enjoy the quiet of the forest.

Filling one of the large pots from the creek, Merlin sat down on the ground at the fire, leaned back against the fallen sapling and began peeling and chopping up the carrots, potatoes, onions and parsnips that would form the base of the stew. He also had a handful of early beans to add to the pot, as well as some parsley and some rosemary to help enhance the flavours.

By the time he had snapped the ends off the last bean, Merlin was struggling to keep his eyes open. Between his duties of the previous day, the little sleep he'd managed to get and then the physical labour of getting the camp ready for Arthur and the other young lords, it was no surprise that Merlin felt ready to curl up and sleep for several hours.

He could feel his eyelids drooping and it was becoming harder and harder to open his eyes and focus on what was going on in front of him. His head began to bob down towards his chest and his breathing became slower and deeper. The poor young man was almost asleep when a crashing nearby scared him half to death and brought him scrambling to his feet.

Merlin snatched up the knife he'd been using to prepare dinner and holding it close to his side, he swivelled his head around, eyes darting into the brush surrounding the clearing, trying to determine who, or what, had made all that noise.

A sudden outburst of laughter followed by a horse's neigh allowed Merlin to drop his shoulders and relax. It was only Arthur and the others, finally arriving after their day of hunting.

Stepping into the clearing from a break in the bushes to the west, Arthur looked around and, on seeing Merlin standing clutching the knife and looking like a startled deer, broke into laughter.

"Really, Merlin, it's only us. Scared, were you?" he chortled as he dismounted and led Hengroen towards the space where the other horses were already hobbled.

"If I was, it wouldn't be a surprise," shot back Merlin as he laid the knife down on the log. "You scared me half to death!"

"Merlin, don't be such a _girl_ ," said Arthur as he gave his manservant a quick smile. It had obviously been a successful hunt as all six young men were in high spirits.

Graham, or possibly Michael (Merlin still couldn't tell them apart) reached into one of his saddlebags and handed over two plump pheasant to Merlin. "Here, these can be roasted for dinner. Arthur spent the last hour raving about how delicious your roasted pheasant is, so I must admit I'm looking forward to tasting it! I'm Michael, by the way."

"I _wasn't_ raving!" came a yell from the other side of the clearing. "I simply said that Merlin made a very nice roast pheasant … when he paid attention and didn't let it fall into the fire."

Merlin laughed and took the pheasant's from Michael's hand. "Here, let me start plucking these and I'll be happy to roast them for dinner. What else did you catch?"

Kendrick came over with a brace of hares. "Aren't these beauties," he said as he eyed the plump rabbits. "We've also placed a few snares to see if we can catch a few more overnight. Best of all, we found several deer trails that appear to be well-trodden, so the plan for tomorrow is to see if we can't snag a deer."

"A deer?" asked Merlin. Turning to Arthur who was now standing at Kendrick's side, Merlin asked, "And did you give any thought as to how we're supposed to get an entire deer back to Camelot?"

Arthur clapped Merlin on the shoulder and said, "Well, you see, Merlin; that's not my worry. _You're_ the one who's going to have to figure out how to get the thing home, once we've caught it. Now, I'm starving. When's supper?" A chorus of "Yes, food!" accompanied Arthur's question.

After staring at his prince for a few moments with a look of incredulity, Merlin shrugged his shoulders and made his way over to the far side of the clearing where the tents were set up. Pytor had already thrown both his and Kendrick's bags into their tent and Michael, Graham and Samuel were joking around trying to lay out their bedrolls in their large tent. Reaching into the one he was sharing with Arthur, Merlin grabbed a bag and a few bowls. Inside the bag were some fresh bread and a large hunk of cheese. Handing everything to Samuel, who had given up listening to the twins debate the best way to set up their tent to ensure 'the most efficient use of the space', and had left them to it, Merlin said, "Here, this should tide you over until the stew is ready."

"Thank you, Merlin," said Samuel as he took the bag and quickly began rooting around to see what it contained. Pulling out the loaf of bread, Samuel took a deep sniff and moaned, "This smells _amazing_! We've not eaten since breakfast so this is perfect!"

While Samuel portioned out the bread and cheese, Merlin sat down with the first pheasant firmly held between his knees and began plucking the feathers off the bird. He was finishing up the first bird when Kendrick sat down nearby and picked up one of the rabbits.

"I'll skin these and get them ready for the pot, if you'd like," he said as he pulled out his knife and tested the edge.

"That would be a big help," responded Merlin as he placed the first bird on the log beside him and picked up the second. He didn't mind removing the feathers from the birds – he'd been doing it since he was about five years old – but it wasn't as easy a job as it looked and he always ended up with sore fingers and cramped hands.

The two men worked quietly, side by side, while the others brushed their horses, fed them and then hobbled them so they wouldn't wander away in the dark. Once the rabbits were ready, Merlin chopped the meat up into chunks, threw it in the pot with the vegetables and potatoes and then hung the pot on the portable tripod that he had earlier placed over the flames.

With the stew slowing starting to bubble, Merlin dressed and spitted the two pheasants and also set them over the fire. The aroma of cooking meat soon filled the area and it wasn't long before six hungry young men were standing around the fire, bowls and spoons in hand, giving Merlin looks like they hadn't eaten in days.

And that was how Merlin's evening was spent – in between bites of his own food, he had to make sure everyone had stew in their bowls, the pheasant was properly cooked and then plated, and some fruit was handed out to those who wanted an apple or a pear. Then, he had to take care of the washing up once everyone had eaten their fill.

By the time Merlin had packed away the food for the evening, washed and dried all the bowls and pots, made sure the horses were watered and then ensured they were set for the night, Merlin was ready to seek his own bed. It was fully dark by the time his chores were done and Arthur and the others had made themselves comfortable around the fire.

Merlin approached the group and leaning in towards Arthur's ear said, "If you don't need me for anything else tonight, I'm heading to bed." Arthur gave his servant an absent-minded nod and said, "Good night, Merlin. We want to get an early start tomorrow so please have breakfast ready just after dawn."

"Of course, Sire," said Merlin. "Right," he thought to himself, "as if any of them will be up at dawn!" A chorus of "Good Night" followed the young warlock as he crossed over to his tent and crawled inside. He pulled off his boots and his jacket, curled himself up in his blanket and was asleep in minutes.

Merlin couldn't have been asleep for more than about an hour when an urgent call of "Merlin" sounded in his ear, accompanied by a harsh shove on his shoulder.

"Get up," said Arthur as he pushed at Merlin's shoulder again. "There's been a bit of an accident."

On hearing the word 'accident' Merlin sat up rather quickly and barely missed banging heads with Arthur, who was crouched at his side.

"Watch it!" cried the Prince as he jerked away and fell onto his backside.

"What's happened?" asked Merlin as he pulled on his boot and grabbed his pack.

"Well," answered Arthur as he stood up, "Graham tripped over a rock in the dark and fell. Unfortunately, he was very close to the fire when it happened and he managed to burn his hand in the flames."

The two men left the tent to see Graham sitting on the log with his left hand clutched to his chest and his brother sitting beside him, speaking in a low tone. Kendrick was just coming back with a pail of creek water and Pytor was re-stoking the fire to create more light.

"Here, let me see," said Merlin as he sat down at Graham's side and gently grasped his left arm. Resting the injured hand on his leg, Merlin gave it a quick examination. The palm was red and there were two small blisters that had formed, but that seemed to be the worst of the damage. Taking the pot of water from Kendrick, Merlin had Graham hold his hand out and away from his body, while Merlin slowly poured the water over the burn.

Samuel, who had been standing out of the way, said, "I thought you were supposed to place the hand in the water and let it soak."

Keeping his focus on his task, Merlin responded, "Gaius taught me that the pain will go away quicker if you gently pour water over the burn rather than let it soak. How does is feel, Graham?"

"Actually, it feels much better. It's more of a dull ache now, rather than a throbbing pain."

"Good; that's good," murmured Merlin. "I'm going to dry your hand, put some salve on it and then wrap it lightly in some bandaging to keep it clean." With careful and deft movements, Merlin soon had Graham's hand dried, slathered with a cooling ointment and wrapped.

"Just be careful," he admonished the young lord, "and you should be fine in the morning."

"Thank you Merlin," said Graham with a small smile. "It's feeling much better."

"Well, if that's it, good night … again!" said Merlin with a chuckle as he packed away his medicines and returned to his tent to get some much-needed sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Early the next morning, Merlin quietly pulled on his boots and jacket and slipped out of the tent. Standing up and stretching, he took a deep breath of crisp morning air, made his way to the creek and splashed some water on his face. He hadn't had a good night. Once he had returned to his bed after dealing with Graham's hand, he had laid there staring at the tent roof.

Oh, he had dozed on and off, but never really fell into a deep, restful sleep. Instead, it seemed that every little squeak of a mouse, or hoot of an owl, or snore from his tent companion jerked him awake just as he felt himself drifting off. And today would be busy, especially if the mighty hunters wanted to catch a deer.

Merlin straightened up, settled his jacket more firmly on his shoulders and began his preparations for the day. He checked the horses to make sure they were fine and gave them food and water. Then he got the fire going and placed a pot of water over the flames to boil so he could make some tea. He lowered their food cache out of the tree and retrieved some bread, cheese, fruit and some of the pheasant left over from dinner and put it all into several bowls so everyone could take what they wanted.

The pot of water on the fire had only just started to bubble when he heard a tent flap open and both Samuel and Michael stepped out into the fresh morning air.

"Good morning, Merlin," called Samuel, "you're certainly early this morning."

"Well, Arthur did say that you wanted to get an early start so …" responded Merlin with a smile. "Here, I've got breakfast set out and the tea will be ready shortly."

It wasn't long before all the young men were seated around the fire, enjoying their breakfast and discussing their plan of action for the day. Once he had finished eating, Merlin drew Graham to the side saying, "I'd like to take a look at your hand and see how it is healing. How does it feel this morning?"

"It does feel a bit tight, but there is no pain. That's good, right? I won't have to miss out on the hunt, will I?"

"Well, I won't know until I take a look, but if there's no pain …" Merlin gently unwrapped the bandages from around the concerned young man's hand and examined it closely. The blisters had all but disappeared and Graham's palm was no longer an angry red, but had started to return to its usual pinkish tone.

"It looks very good. I'll put some more ointment on it and wrap it up again, but as long as you're careful you shouldn't have any further problems."

Arthur, having heard Merlin's statement, said, "Great! So, it seems we'll all be able to head out soon. Merlin, I need you to check the snares we set yesterday. Once you've retrieved whatever we caught, then you can meet us at the small pond just west of here. You know the one. I'm sure that's where we'll find a deer or two." Turning to his companions he added, "Well, if everyone's ready, let's get going."

Soon they were all mounted, except for Kendrick. Seeing his brother still standing beside the fire, Pytor asked, "Aren't you coming? Is everything okay? Are you feeling unwell?"

Kendrick laughed and said, "I'm fine, Pytor; really. But did any of you think of how Merlin is supposed to find the snares we set when he wasn't with us yesterday?"

Five blank looks met his words and he laughed again. "That's what I thought! Look, I'll stay here with Merlin to show him where we set up the traps, and once we're done, he can direct me towards the pond. I should be able to meet up with you by mid-morning."

"All right," said Arthur. "Kendrick, we'll see you later then; Merlin, don't take too long – and bring along some food with you when you come." On that pronouncement, Arthur, Pytor, Samuel, Michael and Graham disappeared into the brush, leaving Kendrick smiling in amusement and Merlin still wondering how the hell he was supposed to get a deer carcass back to Camelot.

"Not the most observant group, are they," said Kendrick as he turned to smile at his new friend.

"Welcome to my world," said Merlin with a matching grin. "Just give me a couple of moments to get this stuff cleared up and then you can show me where you laid the traps."

It didn't take long for the two young men to get the camp in order. Being so close to Camelot, at least they didn't have to worry about leaving their gear or the pack horses behind. They would be quite safe for the few hours they'd be left alone.

Crawling through the underbrush was difficult, but not impossible, and by the time Kendrick had led Merlin to the last snare, both men were pulling sticks and leaves out of their hair. They certainly weren't complaining, though; five of the six snares had been set off and Kendrick had even managed to get a grouse that wandered by.

By the time they made it back to the campsite, the sun had fully risen and it was turning out to be a lovely, and warm, day. Merlin tied the rabbits and grouse together and, as previously, hauled them high into a tree to prevent them being stolen by some predator looking for an easy meal.

"I'm going to get some food together, because if I know Arthur he'll be moaning that he hasn't eaten in _days_ by the time I meet up with you. You won't have any difficulty finding the others, Kendrick." Pointing to a small trail that headed off to the west, Merlin added, "Just follow that trail and it will bring you right to the pond. About five hundred paces before the pond, you'll come to a large oak that has been split down the middle. Off to the right is where we usually tie up the horses. Your brother and the others won't be far off from there."

"Sounds easy enough, Merlin," said Kendrick as he tightened the girth on his saddle and swung up onto his horse's back. "We'll see you soon, then," he added as he made his way out of the clearing and along the narrow track.

It didn't take long for Merlin to pack some food and a couple of wine skins into one of his saddle bags, get his horse saddled up and make his way along the trail towards the waiting hunters. Turning back to give their home-away-from-home one last check to make sure everything was secure, he laid a simple "keep out" spell on the clearing. It wouldn't hide their camp, but at least it would keep most predators away.

It took about an hour for Merlin to arrive at the pond, and once he'd tied up his horse with the others, he made his away along the deer path towards the water. He could hear the young men laughing and joking, so obviously there were no deer in the area. Instead, he arrived to find Arthur, Kendrick and Graham sitting on the grass while the other three splashed in the pond. From the look of them, they were apparently fishing … but from the noise they were making and the lack of fish on the bank, they obviously weren't having much luck.

Merlin stopped by Graham's feet – the young man had stretched out and was enjoying the warmth of the sun; in fact, he looked to be about three seconds away from sleep – and greeted everyone.

"I can see you've had a successful morning," he said with a smirk.

"Ah, well," responded Pytor from the water. "There's been no sign of deer, so we decided to try some fishing. Michael was showing us how to fish without a rod or bait. Unfortunately," Pytor added with a chuckle, "he's much better at describing how to catch a fish with your hands, than actually doing so!"

"Hey!" cried Michael. "I _almost_ had one. That's better than either of you two!"

"Well," said Merlin, "I've brought food with me, so if you're hungry …"

At the word 'food' the three men in the water quickly splashed their way to the bank and out of the pond, while Arthur and Kendrick sat up. Graham was still half-asleep, but the movement around him caused him to open his eyes. Looking up and seeing Merlin standing beside him, he blinked and said, "Merlin, when did you get here?"

Merlin smiled down at the young man. "I just got here. How is your hand?"

"It feels good," responded Graham. "There's no pain and it no longer feels tight when I move it."

"That's reassuring news. I'll take another look at it after you've eaten, but I think you're well on your way to recovery." Then, placing the bag of food on the ground beside Arthur, he said, "I've brought some bread, cheese, meat, fruit and a couple of wine skins."

While the six young men dove into the food, Merlin stepped off to the side. He had wisely eaten before leaving camp, because he knew that he risked losing a hand if he tried to even snatch a piece of cheese from the hungry hunters! Instead, Merlin made his way down towards the pond and peered into the water. He could easily spot a few fish, most likely perch, and thought he'd give hand fishing a try. If he could catch a couple, they'd be a nice addition to dinner.

Pulling off his boots and socks, and rolling up his pant legs, the dark-haired servant carefully slipped into the water, moving so slowly that he caused barely a ripple on the surface of the water. Creeping closer towards a decent-sized fish that was resting beneath an overhang at the edge of the pond, Merlin pushed away all the external distractions around him. Slowly, oh so slowly, he crept up on the fish until, in a flurry of movement, he thrust his hands in the water, scooped up the fish and flung it towards the bank.

Standing up, his hands and face dripping water, Merlin grinned at the sight of the fish flopping on the grass. Michael, who had made his way towards the bank of the pond when he had seen Merlin inching his way through the water, picked up the fish and stared at Merlin in amazement.

"I didn't realize you could hand fish," he said. Then turning to his companions he called, "See, I told you it's possible!"

Merlin laughed at the comments Pytor and the others were making about Michael "not being much of a teacher" and the like. "Well, I hate to admit it, but I did quite a bit of hand fishing back home," said Merlin.

"Well," said Arthur, "seeing as you've apparently a _talent_ for it, why don't you catch a few more and we can enjoy them with dinner?"

"Fine," said Merlin, just as Michael said, "I bet I can catch more than you, Merlin."

"You think so?" said Merlin, as he waited for Michael to join him in the water.

"Wait a moment," said Samuel from his comfortable seat on the grass, "shouldn't there be some sort of prize for the person who catches the most fish?"

"Hmm … you're right, Samuel," said Arthur, as he looked around. Pointing to a nearby tree he said, "How about, whoever catches the most fish by the time the sun is shining through those two branches there, doesn't have to gut or descale them?"

"Seems reasonable," said Michael as he looked to Merlin to gauge his reaction to the bet. A firm nod confirmed Merlin's agreement.

With a quick _one, two, three_ the two men got to work. Merlin and Michael stood at opposite ends of the pond, their gazed focused on the water while the others sat on the bank calling encouragement to the fishermen. Kendrick had appointed himself time-keeper and was keeping close watch on the sun's movement across the sky.

Fishing by hand was hard work, and Merlin quickly began to recall why he preferred to fish with a rod. His back was beginning to ache from standing hunched over and still for long periods of time, his eyes were getting sore from the prolonged staring and the brightness of the sun's rays bouncing off the water's surface, and his toes were turning blue from the cold water. Mind you, he could tell that Michael was in no better straits than he was, so at least wasn't alone in his agony.

Merlin quickly caught two fish, but then for many long minutes, nothing. Michael had grabbed one, but his second had slipped through his fingers – much to the amusement of their audience of five. Then, raucous cries sounded and Michael called out "Hurrah". He had managed to snag a second fish; a _large_ second fish. Now the two men were tied, and their time was almost up.

Merlin glanced up at the sky and saw that it would only be a few moments before the sun shifted and their contest would be over. He was just about to say "enough" when he felt something brush by his ankle. Looking down, Merlin saw the biggest fish he'd seen all day, lazily swimming towards the same overhang where he'd caught his first fish. The sun was strong and the overhang provided a shady, cool place for the fish to rest.

By now, Michael had made his was over to the bank and was examining his catch with great satisfaction. While he hadn't actually caught more than Merlin, both his fish were bigger than Merlin's, so he hoped this might give him an advantage. The others were congratulating him on his win when Kendrick said, "Wait, I haven't called time yet! And look, I think Merlin's on to something."

Once again, Merlin had blocked out the noise coming from the bank of the pond and had turned all his attention to the fish. It was sleek-looking and from the size of it, it had to weigh at least five pounds. Leaning down, Merlin slid his hands into the water and slowly began moving his fingers back and forth, in an almost hypnotic rhythm. The fish seemed to be entranced by the fingers waving back and forth in front of him, moving almost like reeds in the current. Then, in a flash, Merlin had clamped his hands around the fish and, muscles tense, flung the fish high out of the water towards the bank.

A long arc of droplets, glimmering in the sun, followed the path of the fish as it rose in the air and then began to drop down towards the ground. For a moment, Merlin thought he had misjudged the distance and he was afraid the fish was going to land back in the water; but no; the perch landed with a loud _thwack_ on the grass, right beside Arthur's foot.

"That was incredible," crowed Graham as he picked up Merlin's fish and held it high. Just then, Kendrick cried "Time! And Merlin's the winner. Michael, I hope you're feeling up to cleaning fish," he added with a laugh.

Reaching over to give Merlin a hand as he stepped out of the water, Michael said, "With a fish like that, I'm happy to have lost. It's going to taste delicious, slowly roasted over the fire."

"Don't worry, Michael," said Merlin magnanimously, "I'll help you clean the fish."

While the two fishermen pulled on their socks and boots, Arthur said, "Well, it doesn't look like we're going to catch anything further today. Why don't we head back to the camp? We only have to be back at Camelot by the early afternoon tomorrow, so we can try again in the morning for a deer."

Between the seven of them, they had the remnants of the food gathered up, the fish tied together and then lashed to Merlin's saddlebag and the horses saddled up in no time.

By the time they got back to the camp, though, Merlin's arms were aching and his back felt permanently hunched, though his feet seemed to have finally thawed. But, he had no time to rest because he had to help Michael with the fish, get their evening meal prepared, care for the horses, and then clean up the pots and dishes.

The stars had appeared in the dark sky by the time Merlin had finished washing out the pot, bowls and spoons they had used to eat their meal and his jaw was almost cracking from the size and length of the yawns that he just couldn't seem to control.

"If there is nothing else you need from me, Arthur, I'm going to take a look at Graham's hand and then I'm going to bed," said the tired young warlock as he piled the bowls and pots by the fire.

"No, no, that's fine, Merlin. Sleep well."

Merlin quickly dealt with Graham's hand – and he was well pleased with how it looked. The last tiny blister had disappeared and his palm had returned to its normal pink hue. It didn't even need to be bandaged again, which made Graham happy as well.

"Thank you Merlin," said the young lord as he watched Merlin gather up his supplies and stow them in his bag.

"You are most welcome," responded Merlin with a tired smile, as he picked up his bag and stepped into his tent.

Placing the bag off to the side, Merlin unrolled his blanket, pulled off his boots, socks and neckerchief and then lay down and made himself comfortable. He was exhausted and as he lay there, he could feel each muscle crying out. He ached all over from his exertions of the day. He was desperate for sleep, but he was worried too. Past experience had taught him that when he felt like this, he was liable to sleepwalk. He had been sleepwalking, on and off, since he was a child and he never knew when it was going to happen.

Fortunately, he hadn't had an episode since his arrival in Camelot - at least not that he was aware – and the gods knew there were plenty of times when the circumstances were right and he probably should have been traipsing about in his bedclothes. His sleepwalking wasn't something that he wanted anyone to know about; it wasn't so much that he was embarrassed by it, but it was more the fact that he couldn't really control it. Besides, it wasn't really anyone else's business.

Curling up onto his right side, and wrapping himself tightly in his blanket, Merlin hoped this would restrict his movements and allow him to sleep through the night.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The cheerful song of a warbler woke Merlin early the next morning. He lay there, tangled in his blanket and thought a _nother early morning and another day of running around_. With a groan the young man tried to find the end of his blanket to unwrap himself, but no luck. He was wrapped up tighter than a swaddled baby.

"Really?!" exclaimed the servant as he continued to wriggle around on the ground, trying to loosen his bedding. All the grunts and complaints he was making quickly served to waken Arthur, who looked over at his companion and burst out laughing.

"What did you _do_?" he asked, as he threw back his own blanket and sat up. "You look like one of Cook's pigs-in-a-blanket!"

"Yeah, yeah," retorted Merlin, red-faced with embarrassment. "A little help would be appreciated, you know."

"Well …. I don't know, Merlin. I kind of like you like this; means you can't get into any trouble."

"It also means you won't get any breakfast, unless you want to prepare it yourself," responded Merlin in a snarky tone.

"Good point," said Arthur as he made his way to his manservant's side, a wide grin splitting his face. "Stop wiggling and give me a moment," he added as he studied the twists and turns of the blanket. Finding a loose corner, he said, "Ah, here we go," and then gave the woollen trap a hearty yank. Merlin rolled across the ground, coming to a stop against the wall of their tent. The blanket lay along the ground behind him like a carpet and he was finally free.

Sitting up, he grinned at Arthur and said, "Thanks. I'm not sure I'd have been able to get out on my own."

"S'alright Merlin," said the prince as he began pulling on a clean pair of socks. "So … what's for breakfast?"

"If you're still intent on trying for a deer," - Arthur's nod confirmed that was the plan for the day - "I'll make some porridge with fruit and honey this morning. It should last you through the morning. After all, you wouldn't want to scare away any potential catch because your stomachs started rumbling!"

Arthur quickly reached for one of his dirty socks to toss in his impertinent servant's direction, but a laughing Merlin was already though the tent flap and outside by the time he'd found one.

So, as was the case the previous day, Merlin made sure the young men had a hearty breakfast, bade them "good hunting" and promised to meet them at the small pond with one of the pack horses once he had cleaned up the remains of breakfast.

As they were going to be returning to Camelot that afternoon, Merlin also had to pack up the campsite, though he did leave their food and bowls readily available so they could at least enjoy a meal before the left their little home-away-from-home.

It took quite a bit of time for everything to be stowed and piled together, ready for loading onto the horses and by the time Merlin actually began to make his way towards the pond, the sun was high in the sky and it was almost midday.

As he travelled the familiar path, Merlin's mind began to drift. He was tired and he was sore from his exertions, but it had been nice to leave the walls of the castle behind for a few days. It was almost like he'd been on a holiday … if your holiday included caring for six young nobles, cooking, looking after the horses, some emergency physicking and no rest!

The sound of laughter once again greeted his ears as he approached the pond, so once he had tied up his own mount, Merlin led the pack horse he had brought with him towards the open space that surrounded the pond.

Sure enough, there on ground lay a deer, a youngish male, based on the size of the antlers. Standing at its head, looking very pleased with himself, was Samuel. The others were praising the young man on the quality of his shooting and there were many promises of 'celebratory drinks in the tavern'.

"Ah, Merlin, you've finally arrived. I was beginning to worry you'd gotten lost," said Arthur as he spotted his servant approaching. "See what we've caught. Well, actually, see what Samuel caught! Isn't it a beauty?"

"Congratulations," said Merlin as he came to a halt beside the deer.

"Thank you," said Samuel with a grin. "I can't wait to tell Father; he will be so pleased!"

"I'm sure he will," responded Arthur as he clapped the young man's shoulder. "And, the sooner we can get this animal strapped to the horse, the sooner we can be on our way. Is everything ready back at the camp, Merlin?"

"Yes, Arthur. I've got all the stores together and ready for loading onto the horses. But, considering the size of the deer, I don't think Anna here can carry anything else. We'll have to divvy up some of the bags amongst us, as there is too much still to pack onto poor Old Red. I've left out some food for a quick meal, so once we've eaten, we can figure out the best method to get everything loaded up."

Eying the deer and the horse, who was standing patiently at Merlin's size, Arthur said, "I think you're right, Merlin. All right, let's get this deer strapped down and get back to camp."

With all of them lifting and manoeuvring and making sure the various straps were tightly tied, it didn't take long before the line of men were astride their horses and were heading back towards the camp, Merlin tagging along at the end with Anna and her burden traipsing behind.

Once back at their campsite, Merlin quickly handed around the food and then got to work loading the tents and cooking utensils onto Old Red. By the time he was done, the only items each man had to carry were a bedroll and their personal belongings. Merlin's horse was also carrying the little food that remained – young men in their early twenties are voracious eaters, and the three apples and one small hunk of cheese that remained from their original stores was suitable testimony to that fact.

Taking the three apples, Merlin fed one to Anna and one to Old Red. He was just about to give the third to his own sweet-tempered mare when Hengroen reached over and delicately plucked the ripe fruit from Merlin's hand and downed it with three crunches of her large, strong teeth.

"Hey," said Merlin, and he gave the horse a serious glare, "that wasn't for you, you lazy old sod." Hengroen just nosed Merlin looking for a scratch – it sometimes seemed she liked him more than she did her master. Laughing, Merlin scratched her just between her ears and then, giving her head a gentle shove, said "Lay off, now. I've got to finish here."

A few moments later, all seven of them were mounted and were heading down the trail towards Camelot. Merlin was riding at the back of the group, as he didn't want to rush the two pack horses. They were quite burdened with their loads – not anything they couldn't handle – but enough that the caring young man didn't want to hurry them along. At the speed they were traveling, it would take close to three hours for them to arrive at the castle.

Merlin split his attention between his charges and watching Arthur and the others who were laughing and joking ahead of him. Whispering to his horse, Merlin said, "Arthur could do a lot worse than having men like these as friends and allies. They are all likable, intelligent young men and Pytor, in particular, seems to be a kindred spirit with Arthur. It's obvious they respect their prince, but it certainly doesn't seem as if they would ever kow-tow to him. Hopefully their attitudes will remain, once they become Lords of their own lands."

Kendrick dropped back and rode at Merlin's side for a while; being the youngest of the group, they both treated their elders in rather the same manner: with respect, but with the slight exasperation that seems to be endemic to younger brothers everywhere.

They were only about half a league from Camelot when suddenly Merlin felt a jolt through the reins. Old Red's gait had become uneven. Quickly calling to Arthur, Merlin reined his horse to a stop, slid down from the saddle, and hurried towards Old Red's side. The gelding was holding his left forefoot slightly off the ground, and by the time Arthur had reached them, Merlin could see that he had thrown a shoe.

Looking up at Arthur, Merlin said, "It's a shoe. I'm going to have to remove most of the baggage from Old Red and tied it onto my horse. He can't continue like this, weighed down with the tents and all the other stuff. You may as well go on ahead, Arthur; I'm going to have to walk back."

"You're right Merlin; I don't want to risk harming Old Red. Look, we'll take Anna with us and that way you've only got two animals to handle. I'll let the Stable Master know what's happened, so he'll be waiting for you."

On hearing what was going on, Kendrick called to Merlin, "Do you need any help? I don't mind staying with you."

Merlin smiled at his new friend; it still surprised him that he considered Kendrick a friend. They were from such different backgrounds, but they had gotten along so well, that things like status and upbringing didn't matter. "Thank you, but no. Once I've got most of the bags transferred over to my horse, we'll walk back to Camelot. It shouldn't take us too long. Besides, isn't there going to be a skills demonstration tomorrow? You'll want to rest up before that, and slogging along home leading a limping horse isn't much of a rest!"

Kendrick grinned and said, "True Merlin, and if Arthur is as good with a sword as he says he is …."

"Oh, he's not as good as he says he is … he's better! So you'd better get some rest when you can, because he will _not_ take it easy on you tomorrow."

"Hmmm," said Kendrick, as he glanced at Arthur who was now making sure that Anna's lead was properly attached to his saddle, "maybe you're right. Well, good luck with everything and hopefully you won't be too long."

With a final "And don't dilly-dally!" from Arthur, the six young men rode off towards Camelot, hot baths, dinner and some relaxation time. Merlin, on the other hand, was faced with a long, slow walk leading a slightly-limping pack horse as well as his own horse who was none too pleased at the extra burden she was being forced to carry.

"I don't know why you're complaining," said Merlin as he gave his horse a pat, "you're not the only one carrying extra stuff." Merlin himself was carrying two bags slung crosswise over his shoulders and across his chest, and one of them had a cooking pot dangling from it as well.

Once the others were far from sight, Merlin chanced putting a small spell on the baggage to make it sit lighter on the horses' backs. _After all_ , he thought, _it's not your fault they decided they wanted to bring home a deer._

It was a slow and rather painful trip back to Camelot. Every second step Merlin took caused the cooking pot swung out and then smack back rather forcefully against his hip. No matter how much he tried to shift his burden, it made no difference. "I am going to have such a bruise", he exclaimed to the trees as the pot wacked his hip for what seemed the millionth time.

The sun was dipping low in the sky by the time Merlin and the horses arrived at the castle. Trudging through the main gates, a call of "Merlin" caught his attention. Gaius was crossing the courtyard and on seeing his rather haggard-looking ward limping across the paving stones, he hurried over to the young man's side.

"What happened?" asked the physician.

"Didn't Arthur think to tell you?"

"I haven't seen him; I heard they had returned from a successful hunt, but I've seen neither hide nor hair of him."

"Oh, well, you see …" Merlin began explaining the events of the day while the two of them headed towards the stables. By the time one of the stable lads had gotten all the baggage off Old Red and had led him towards a small stall that was filled with fresh straw and some warm mash for his dinner, Merlin had finished caring for his mare and was wrapping up the tale of his adventures. "… and now my hip is killing me. I think this stupid pot has left a permanent dent in my bones!"

"Ah, well, Merlin. It's of no matter now. You're home safe and sound, Old Red is being cared for and you, young man, are going to have a bath and I'll give you some liniment for your hip. Arthur surely can't need you tonight, can he?" asked Gaius.

"I hope not," said Merlin, "but knowing Arthur he's probably already mislaid his socks and can't find his boots!"

Gaius laughed with his young ward and slipping his hand through the young man's arm, the two left the stables and made their way across the courtyard and up the wide stairs that led into the castle proper.

Gaius had been telling Merlin of the events of the past days when he suddenly snapped his fingers. "Oh," said the physician as they reached the top of the Griffin stairway and rounded the corner, "you'll be pleased to note that your trials were of benefit – the King is hosting a feast tonight and I am led to understand that deer will be the star of the meal."

"Noooo," moaned the tired and sore servant. "A feast? Tonight? Well, there goes any hope of an evening off. You know Arthur always demands that I be present to keep his wine goblet filled _and_ he's going to need help before dinner. I swear that man is incapable of dressing himself!"

Gaius patted Merlin's arm and said consolingly, "Maybe he'll take pity on you and leave you be for tonight. Besides, I was hoping I could convince you to help me a bit this evening. I've got to prepare some more salves before tomorrow's skills demonstration; I'm running low of my ginger liniment and I should also prepare some more comfrey and stinging nettle salves."

"Of course I'll help Gaius. As it is, I've still got the deliveries you asked me to do before this whole hunting trip. Even if I've got to be present at the feast, how long can it possibly last? After all, Arthur and the others must be as tired as I am after having been outdoors for the past three days."

The two men had just reached the bottom of the winding stairs that led to the physician's quarters when a young page came flying down the stairs. "There you are!" he cried on seeing Merlin. "Prince Arthur's been looking for you. He needs you in his chambers right away."

Merlin gave Gaius a desperate look; it certainly seemed like the worst-case scenario was coming true. Taking in his ward's filthy hands, blood-shot eyes and the crease of pain across his forehead, Gaius turned to the page and said, "Tom, would you do something for me?"

"Of course, Gaius, but I've got to let the Prince know that I found Merlin."

"Well, that's part of what I want you to do. You're going to come with us and you're going to sit down and have a bit of bread and a cup of tea with me while Merlin gets himself cleaned up. Only then are you going to return to Prince Arthur and tell him that Merlin will be with him shortly. Will you do that for me?"

"Well," said Tom, looking rather uneasy at the request, "I'm supposed to report back to the Prince as soon as I find Merlin."

While Tom had been speaking, Gaius had shooed Merlin up the stairs and towards their rooms with instructions that he wash and change into clean clothing.

Merlin had begun to make his slow, plodding way up the stairs when Gaius turned back to Tom and said, in a low voice, "Look at how tired and filthy Merlin is. It won't take long for him to clean up and I think a nice cup of reviving tea will go a long way towards giving him the energy he'll need to carry out his duties tonight."

Tom watched the young servant finally make it to the landing and stumble through the doorway into the physician's rooms. He could see how tired the young warlock was. "I won't get into trouble, will I?" he asked.

Gaius patted Tom on the shoulder and said, "Of course you won't; I promise."

Knowing that Arthur was waiting for him, Merlin got himself cleaned up and ready in no time; in fact, Tom had barely been able to finish the fruit scone that Gaius had offered as a bribe before Merlin appeared at the table and said, "All right, I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

Ever the commander, Gaius began issuing orders. "All right, Tom, now that you're finished you may go tell Arthur that Merlin will be with him as soon as he cleans up. Merlin, you sit down and have a cup of tea. I've added some honey to it, just as you like. Once you've finished your tea and had some bread and cheese, then you can attend Arthur. You won't be long, so don't worry."

One cup of refreshing tea and one hastily-eaten snack later, Merlin was soon knocking at Arthur's door.

"Come in," came the muffled answer.

Opening the door and walking in, at first Merlin couldn't see the prince. "Arthur?" he called.

"Ah, Merlin," came Arthur's voice … from the inside of his wardrobe. "I was beginning to think you'd fallen in a hole somewhere."

Approaching the open door of the wardrobe, Merlin looked to see Arthur on his hands and knees, half-way into the wardrobe and patting around in the dark corner of the piece of furniture. He was only partially dressed, and was wearing only one boot.

"What _are_ you doing?" asked the servant as he pushed the door open and allowed a little more light to enter the dim interior of the wardrobe.

"Looking for my other boot. What does it look like I'm doing?" came the sarcastic response from the obviously-frustrated noble.

"Arthur, get out of there. I'll find you boot while you finish dressing."

Arthur quickly backed out of the wardrobe and managed to step on Merlin's foot at the same time. "We don't have much time," he said as he pulled his shirt over his head. "The dinner bell should be ringing soon and there's a small presentation to be made before the Feast."

"A presentation?" said Merlin as he leaned into the wardrobe, grabbed the missing boot and then handed it over to Arthur.

Arthur stared at the boot, gave Merlin a sheepish grin and said, as he pulled it on, "Yes. I've had the antlers from the deer polished and we are going to present them to Samuel before dinner. I didn't know, but this was the first time he's ever downed a deer on his own. I felt it deserved some sort of recognition."

"That's very thoughtful, Arthur," said Merlin as he plucked Arthur's preferred red jacket from the bed and held it out for Arthur to don.

"Ah, well," said Arthur with a smile as they left the room and made their way along the halls towards the Great Chamber, "Samuel is a good man and he deserves the accolades, even if it's only for surviving as the sole male offspring in a household of women!"

It was another long evening for Merlin. He spent the entire time standing behind Arthur's chair and making sure that his and Samuel's goblets were always filled with wine. As the night wore on, Merlin's knees began to ache from standing still for so long, his feet were sore from the lengthy walk earlier that day and, to top things off, his hip began throbbing as well.

When he had been changing clothes earlier, Merlin had dutifully rubbed some of the salve Gaius had given him into the large bruise caused by the thrice-cursed pan, but considering the size of the bruise it had caused, he wasn't surprised that it was now causing him a great deal of pain.

Finally, _finally_ , the dinner ended, the entertainment was ready to start, and Arthur gave Merlin permission to return to his rooms. "But don't forget that tomorrow morning is the skills demonstration, so I'm going to need you to bring my breakfast early," was the final instruction he gave before waving Merlin towards the door.

Knowing that Gaius had a list of tasks for him, Merlin wasted no time returning to the rooms he shared with the physician. Pushing open the scarred, wooden door, Merlin could see Gaius was already deep into his preparations and there was a pile of nettles sitting in a basket on the floor beside the table.

Realizing that it was too late to start making the deliveries Gaius had asked him to do, and considering most the castle inhabitants were still enjoying the feast, Merlin sat down at the table and tipped some of the greenery from the basket onto the table top in front of him and thought, _Nettles. I_ hate _nettles_. Every time he had to handle them, no matter how careful he was, he always ended up with the sharp hairs stuck in his hands, which then ached for hours.

Once he had harvested the nettle leaves and ground them into a paste for Gaius, he then turned his attention to the ginger root. Another favourite ingredient of Gaius', at least the ginger, though pungent, didn't cause him any pains.

It was very late when Gaius finally straightened up from his workbench and said, "Well, that's done. I'm as prepared as I'll ever be for tomorrow. Thank you for your assistance, Merlin; I do appreciate it."

"You're welcome, Gaius," responded Merlin as he dried off the mortar and pestle and returned them to their usual place at the end of the workbench. "Is there anything else you need from me? I've been ordered by Arthur to attend him early tomorrow morning so we can get everything ready for the demonstration."

"Actually, Merlin," responded Gaius, "I was hoping you'd have some time to run an errand for me tomorrow. I've got a collection of vials waiting to be picked up at the glass blowers and I've also got a number of medical visits to make tomorrow, so I won't have time to do both. Would you be able to retrieve the vials for me tomorrow afternoon?"

"Of course, Gaius; I'll be sure to get them for you. I'm sure I can find a few free moments to do so. Well then, if that's it, I'm heading to bed."

"Thank you, Merlin," responded Gaius as he blew out the flame burning under the bowl where he had been melting some bees' wax to form the base of one of his salves. "Do you need any more liniment for your hip?"

"I've still got a little bit left from this afternoon. It should be enough for now. Goodnight, Gaius," responded Merlin as he made his way up the short flight of steps to his room and closed the door behind him.

"Goodnight, Merlin," called Gaius.

Merlin pulled off his boots and outerwear and lay down on his bed with a deep sigh of relief. Finally, his day was over. Pulling his blanket up high and tucking it under his chin, he curled onto his side and blew out the candle that was sitting on his small bedside table. He was asleep in seconds.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Merlin woke to the sound of water dripping. Sitting up in his narrow bed to better see out his window, Merlin could see that the sky was a sea of grey clouds and there was a light drizzle falling. Stepping over to the window and peering down at the courtyard below, he saw there was a sheen of water on the cobblestones, but at least there didn't seem to be any actual puddles.

Merlin quickly dressed, tiptoed down the five steps that led to the main chamber, grabbed a hunk of bread and a pear and scurried out into the cool, damp hallway, but not before giving the collection of bottles waiting for delivery a baleful glare. He was determined to get them delivered today! He gently closed the door behind him, pleased that he had managed not to disturb Gaius who was still sleeping.

Normally he'd have taken the stairs at a run, but his hip was aching from his adventures of the previous day so he instead limped rather slowly down the stairs. The movement was painful, but it did help loosen up the tight muscles so by the time he set foot on the ground, his limp had almost completely disappeared.

A fleeting stop at the kitchens to get Arthur's breakfast and soon Merlin was knocking on the Prince's door. To his surprise, Merlin got a response. A terse "Come," prompted him to hurriedly push open the door and enter. Arthur was already up and dressed and staring despondently out the window.

"Rain, why did it have to rain?" moaned Arthur. He had been looking forward to testing himself against his new friends and was worried that the constant drizzle had turned the training grounds into a sea of muck.

"Well, from what I saw on the way here, there doesn't seem to be much accumulation. Besides, you've fought in worse conditions than this," responded Merlin, trying to bolster the blonde's mood. The servant had learned long ago that a cranky Arthur was a major pain in the arse to deal with.

"I hope you're right," said Arthur as he turned away from the window, sat down at the table and began to eat. "I've got a list of things that will need to get done before we start this morning, so you can straighten up in here later. Here," he added as he held out a piece of parchment covered in writing.

Merlin read through the list and then looked back up at Arthur. "You need all of this ready and in place for just after breakfast?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes, so you'd better get a move on," responded Arthur with a grin.

Merlin huffed indignantly. "Fine … fine. I'll get right to it then, shall I?" he snapped as he turned and headed towards the door.

"Your presence will be required as well," called Arthur to his servant's retreating back, "so be prepared. You're going to have a busy morning!"

Merlin didn't deign to answer.

By the time Arthur, Pytor, Graham, Michael, Samuel and Kendrick had made their way to the training grounds, Merlin had already been hard at work for quite a while. He had arranged several round targets of varying sizes at one end of the open space and had positioned a small table nearby on which he had placed a large collection of newly-fletched arrows and four different cross-bows of varying weights for the young men to choose from.

The rack that was used to store the training swords now held eight different blunted weapons. Merlin knew full well that the young men would, at some point, put aside the 'safe' weapons to have a go with their own swords, but as this was supposed to be a demonstration of their skills – not an out-and-out battle – he figured they could at least _start_ with the blunted weapons.

He had also ensured there was seating for the young men, plenty of water available for them to drink and, as a concession to the weather, a small awning had been positioned over everything so the men could at least _attempt_ to stay dry while they waited for their turn to show off their skills. Not that the awning had done Merlin any good so far. With all his running around and setting up, he was now damp through to his skin and he had also discovered that one of his boots had sprung a leak.

Arthur and the others were still standing under the awning discussing the order of the program when King Uther and the lords Alan, Richard and Darvil made their way towards the seating area that had been set up under a second awning. They were accompanied by several of Camelot's senior knights and a few of the Council members as well. Gaius had also arrived and had taken the seat at the end of the first row; an easy exit should he be called upon during the course of the morning.

After a brief speech by King Uther, who exhorted the participants to do their best but not to be surprised when Arthur won all the contests, the demonstration began. Merlin had been hoping that he'd be able to sit back for a bit and watch the goings-on, but that was not to be. Instead, he was kept hopping ensuring that the crossbows were loaded, the targets were properly positioned and the training swords were cleaned of muck and their hafts were kept dry so they wouldn't slip from the warriors' hands.

In the end, as expected, Arthur was declared the winner, but the five young lords had done themselves and their fathers' proud. Uther was impressed enough with what he had seen that he handed out prizes all round.

"A wonderful showing," said Uther to the young men standing in front of him. They were all wet, muddy and tired, but they were also exhilarated. "I am pleased to see that the future of Camelot is in good hands with my son Arthur, but I am also pleased to know that he will have men such as yourselves to serve at his side."

So, with hand clasps and back slaps all round, everyone returned to the keep to clean up before the noon-day meal. Everyone, that is, except Merlin, who was now expected to return everything back to its proper place. The young servant stood at the end of the grass watching while the King, Arthur and all the others who had attended the demonstration hurried through the rain towards the courtyard, before turning back to his duties. What he didn't see was the concerned look Kendrick sent in his direction as he lagged behind the others.

Gaius watched as his ward, now splattered with mud and with his clothes plastered to his skin, plodded towards the rack that held the training swords. The young man looked defeated, with his hair stuck close to his head from the wet and dark circles under his eyes. More important, Gaius wasn't sure but he _thought_ the young warlock was shivering as well.

"Merlin," called Gaius, "would you come here please."

Turning to where the physician was standing under the smaller of the two awnings, Merlin responded, "Now Gaius? It's just that I'd like to get this stuff put away before it becomes coated in rust."

"It will only take a moment, I promise."

Merlin gave the rack of swords one last glance, but made his way to Gaius' side with little hesitation. "Do you need something?" he asked.

Gaius grasped the younger man's forearm and pulled him under the slight shelter. Placing his hand on Merlin's forehead he said, "No, I don't need anything, but I fear you might soon enough. Do you have a fever? Were you shivering before?"

With a futile attempt to bat away the old man's hand, Merlin said, "I'm fine Gaius. No, I don't have a fever, and I may have been shivering a bit, but that's only because I'm soaked through to my skin. Once I get the equipment put away, I promise I'll immediately change into some dry clothes. Oh, and another pair of boots as well."

"What's wrong with your boots?" asked Gaius

"Turns out one of them has a leak. I just need to apply some more linseed oil and they'll be fine but right now I squelch when I walk," said Merlin with a small chuckle.

"All right, Merlin. But, as soon as you've got this all back in storage, I expect to see you in our rooms. I'll have some herbal tea waiting for you, along with some hot water so you can wash off the worst of this mud. And, I'm going to let Arthur know that I need you this afternoon. No complaints, Merlin," he added gruffly as he saw his ward's mouth open to comment. "You don't want to get sick right now, and Arthur shouldn't require your presence until it is time to get ready for the feast. Our guests are leaving in the morning, so you've just got to make it through tonight."

Seeing the determined look in the old man's eyes, and knowing that Gaius was only concerned about his welfare, Merlin agreed to comply with the physician's orders. "But I _have_ to attend Arthur this evening, whether I'm feeling well or not. The King will expect me to be there and I can't run the risk of upsetting him. He already thinks I'm little better than useless, so I don't want to give him an opportunity to prove it."

"All right, Merlin. I understand. Besides, it's not as if you're going to be idle. I have some deliveries I need you to make – and yes, fortunately the majority are all indoors – so you will be busy, even if you're not at Arthur's beck and call this afternoon."

Gaius hurriedly made his way across the grass towards the castle while Merlin returned to the sword rack and began gathering them up, when suddenly a voice behind him said, "Merlin, you look like you could use some help."

Turning, Merlin saw that Kendrick was standing at the edge of the grass beside the large box where the training swords were stored. The young lord was still covered in mud but bearing a large smile. "Aren't you supposed to be getting cleaned up?" asked the servant as he placed his burden in the box.

"Well, yes … but being the younger brother means that I have to wait until Pytor is through bathing and the bath is refilled. So, I figured that as I'm still filthy and you've got a lot to do, I can at least give you a hand."

Merlin gave the other man a grin and said, "Well, in that case … thank you. Your assistance would be greatly appreciated."

With the two of them working diligently, the grounds were soon cleared and the various pieces of equipment returned to the armoury to await cleaning. That, at least, was one task that was taken out of Merlin's hands, to his everlasting gratitude.

On seeing Merlin and Kendrick entering the armoury loaded down with the arrows and crossbows, Leon decided it would be a perfect learning opportunity for the young men he was training. It was Leon's firm belief that everyone, no matter their rank, should know how to properly care for their armour and their weapons, so he was quick to tell Merlin that he would ensure the arrows would be examined for flaws and the crossbows would be properly cleaned and oiled.

Merlin and Kendrick left the armoury and travelled along the halls until they came to the crossing where Kendrick would head to the right and his rooms, while Merlin would continue on towards his own chambers.

"Thank you again, Kendrick," said Merlin. "I honestly don't know how long it would have taken me to finish up if you hadn't helped."

"I was happy to help out, Merlin. And now, let's hope that Pytor has finally finished bathing so I can enjoy a bit of relaxation in some warm water."

Merlin laughed at the look of anticipation that appeared on the young lord's face at the thought of warm water and cleanliness. "Well, I'll leave you to it," he said as Kendrick gave him a small slap on his back and turned towards his rooms. "I hope you enjoy your bath," he called after the other man.

"Oh, don't worry. I will; I definitely will," came the response.

Merlin was still chuckling as he stepped into his own rooms. Gaius, true to his word, had a large pot of water sitting at the edge of the fire and another pot was positioned directly over the flames, the water it contained just coming to a boil.

"Ah, there you are," said Gaius as he looked up from the book he was reading. "I was beginning to Arthur had waylaid you!"

"I'm lucky I'm here as quick as I am. It would have taken me forever to clear up the grounds, but fortunately Lord Kendrick came to give me a hand."

"Ah, yes, Kendrick. From what I've seen of him, he is very much his father's son: kind, clever and very talented with the crossbow."

"Well, I can attest to his kindness," said Merlin, his voice muffled as he tried to pull off his shirt. It was still quite damp, so it was sticking to his skin rather than slipping off easily. He couldn't get the shirt over his head because the fabric was stuck to his arms and all his wriggling and arm-waving was getting him nothing but more entangled in the damp fabric.

Watching his young ward flail for a few moments, Gaius finally took pity on the other man and said, "Hold still a moment and I'll give you a hand." A quick tug and Merlin was finally released from the confines of his shirt. "You wash up and I'll hang this to dry," said Gaius as he set the damp shirt across the small drying rack that was placed to the side of the fireplace. Gaius pick up the towel that he had put there to warm and turned back to hand it to Merlin, who was now scrubbing his hands free of mud.

Once he was clean and the water filthy, Merlin straightened up and reached to take the towel from Gaius' hands. When Merlin turned towards the physician, Gaius glanced over and then stared at Merlin's torso. There was a large, dark bruise showing at the waistband of his trousers. "Merlin, is that the _little_ bruise you told me about yesterday?"

"Hmm," responded the young man, his face covered by the towel. "What did you say?" he asked as he lowered the towel and began drying his hands and arms.

"I asked if that was the little bruise you told me about yesterday. From what I can see, your definition of 'little' differs greatly from mine."

"Oh, yes, well … it was much smaller yesterday," came the hesitant reply.

"I sometimes seriously wonder about you, boy," said Gaius as he marched over to his worktable and began sorting through the various bottles there. "Aha! Here," he said as he held out a small, wide-mouthed jar. "Take this and put some on the bruise while you're changing. It's a salve with comfrey and it will help reduce the swelling. By the time you're dressed, the tea will be ready and I've got some food for you as well."

"Thank you, Gaius," said Merlin, as he rather sheepishly took the salve and climbed the short flight of stairs to his room. "I'll just be a moment."

By the time Merlin had changed into dry clothes, placed his muddy clothing in a basket and had returned to the main room, there was a pot of tea sitting on the table and a simple meal was waiting for him.

Gaius and Merlin sat down and the table and chatted about everything and nothing while they enjoyed their food. By the time they were done eating, though, Merlin had already sneezed several times and his voice was sounding quite raspy.

"What do you need me to do for you this afternoon, Gaius," asked Merlin after he had taken a sip of the soothing lemon balm tea.

"Well, after I give you something to help soothe your throat, I need you to make a number of deliveries for me as well as pick up the vials at the glass blowers. You'll also have to sharpen my scissors and the two blades that I've left on the worktable and finally, I suggest you get your laundry done as well."

"All right. Just let me get on my socks and boots and I'll be ready to go." Merlin had been feeling quite warm after washing so once he had dressed for lunch he had left his feet bare.

Merlin drank down the medicine that Gaius gave him for his throat, gathered up the dishes and placed everything in a bucket of warm water; he'd wash them later. Then he entered his room and sat on the edge of his bed. His small bed had never felt more comfortable. He slowly stretched out an arm towards the trunk placed at the side of the bed, hoping he could reach a clean pair of socks without actually having to stand up.

Gaius was puttering around his worktable when he suddenly realized that he hadn't heard anything from Merlin since he had gone to his room. _Hmm,_ he thought, _I couldn't have missed him leaving, could I?_ Glancing to his right, he saw that the collection of medicines was still sitting there, waiting for delivery.

Concerned now, Gaius called "Merlin?" but received no answer. He climbed the five steps to Merlin's room and what he saw there made him smile. Merlin had fallen over and now lay with his head on his pillow and his feet on the floor. He had one sock on and the other was firmly clasped in his hand and tucked under his chin. He had to have been completely worn out to have fallen asleep like this.

Gaius carefully lifted Merlin's feet off the floor and placed them gently on the bed. He then picked up the blanket that lay folded at the end of the bed and covered his ward. A quick check showed that he didn't have a fever.

Knowing that rest was what the young man needed, Gaius left the room and pulled the door partially closed behind him.

"Ah, well," he said, as he eyed the waiting medicines perched on the edge of the worktable. "Fortunately there's no rush for them to be delivered. Now, I'll just have to remember to wake Merlin in a couple of hours," he added as he poured himself another cup of tea and returned to his reading.

* * *

Merlin was awakened by a sharp pain shooting through his foot. Scrubbing his hands across his face and through his hair, he opened his eyes to discover that he was standing right in front of the door to his room, his nose about two inches from the wood. The smallest toe on his right foot was throbbing from where he must have stubbed it against the edge of the door, which was slightly ajar.

 _Oh, no! Please no!_ thought Merlin as he stepped back from the door and collapsed into a heap on the end of his bed. Pulling his right foot up to rest his heel on the edge of the mattress, Merlin rubbed his toe and tried to think.

"What happened?" he wondered aloud. Looking out of his window he could see the sun had finally peeked through the clouds, but it was low in the west. Peering around his room, and then listening intently for any noise coming from the outer chamber, all Merlin could hear was the gentle clink of glassware as Gaius moved about at his worktable.

"Oh, thank the gods," breathed Merlin. "I must have stubbed my toe on the door before I could leave the room. Drat … I was so sure I was past my sleepwalking. It hasn't happened in so long," he quietly moaned, as he threw himself back to lay flat on the thin mattress and stare at the ceiling. He once again ran his hands over his face and then gripped his hair in anxiety. _What if Gaius found out; or even worse, what if_ Arthur _discovered that I sleepwalk_ , he thought worriedly.

Realizing that lying there would get him nowhere, Merlin sat up and said to himself, in an attempt to bolster his spirits, "Well, at least no one saw and I didn't leave my room. Thank goodness I walked into the door!"

Then, it finally struck him - the only way he could have been sleepwalking was if he had been _asleep_. In the _middle of the day_! He was going to be in deep trouble when Arthur found out he'd spent the afternoon napping!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Several hours had passed since Gaius had discovered his ward had fallen asleep and in that time, the drizzle had finally ceased. The clouds were finally beginning to clear when Gaius heard noises coming from Merlin's room. _Ah, finally_ , thought the physician, _he's awake_.

Without warning, the door to Merlin's room flew open and the young man himself was standing in the doorway, still wearing only one sock and with his hair dishevelled and sticking up all over his head.

"Gaius," he cried, "what happened? You let me _sleep_? _Why_? I have too much to do to sleep away the afternoon! Ohhh, what will Arthur say when he finds out I was _napping_?!"

"Now Merlin," responded the physician in a soothing tone, "don't worry. First off, you fell asleep while you were trying to put on your socks so obviously your body knew what your mind wouldn't admit – that you needed to rest. Secondly, Arthur won't say anything because he won't know you were resting unless you tell him. All I said to him was that I needed your presence this afternoon … I never said _why_ I needed you. For all he knows, you've spent the afternoon pounding herbs or making deliveries."

"Making deliveries … Gaius, I didn't deliver the medicines liked you asked. I'm so, so sorry. I didn't … mean … a … a … achoo!" The young man let out a sneeze so powerful it actually rocked him on his feet, and then he sneezed again.

"Bless you," said Gaius as he gave his ward a careful once-over. "Well, I'm sorry to say, but it seems you've caught a cold. You've definitely got the sneezing and sniffling down pat and your voice is a bit raspy. Any fever?"

"No, Gaius, no fever, no aches, not even a cough. Just the sore throat and the sneez … the sneez … achoo!"

"All right then. While you splash some water on your face and try to tame your hair, I'll prepare you a cup of tea with a little something to help your sooth your throat." At the look on Merlin's face at the mention of him having to take some sort of medicine, Gaius chuckled. "Don't look so worried, Merlin. I'm simply adding some honey to your tea; it's the best throat-soother I've ever found. But you'd better hurry because I'm sure Arthur will be expecting you soon."

At the mention of Arthur, Merlin quickly located his other sock, pulled on boots and washed his face and hands with the cold water from the ewer on the table under his window. He then swiftly drank down the tea that Gaius handed to him as he stepped off the bottom stair to the floor of the main chamber. Merlin placed the empty cup on the table, but as he turned he saw the collection of medicines that Gaius had asked him to deliver still sitting on the edge of the worktable.

Gesturing to the bottles, Merlin said, "I am so sorry Gaius; truly. I didn't mean to fall asleep. I promise I'll deliver them as soon as I am able."

"Don't worry so, my boy; I know you will. None of these medicines are vital, so if they wait another day before being delivered, it will still be fine. It was more important that you were able to rest up a bit this afternoon. Now go, Arthur will be waiting."

Merlin stilled looked slightly guilty, but he gave his mentor a weak smile and said, "Thank you Gaius."

"I'll see you at the feast," came the gentle response.

Merlin ran down the stairs and through the hallways, dodging servants and knights alike in his rush to get to Arthur's chambers. The halls were exceptionally busy as the feast that was being held that evening would be a farewell to the Lords Alan, Richard and Darvil and their sons, and just about everyone was hurrying around making sure everything was in place. Camelot had to look its best; it had to impress. King Uther would stand for nothing less.

Merlin arrived at Arthur's door gasping for breath and desperately trying to hold back a sneeze. He was just about to knock on the door when it flew open. Arthur had been about to send a page to find Merlin, so both men were surprised to see the other standing not three paces away.

"Merlin; there you are!" exclaimed Arthur.

" _A-CHOO_!" responded Merlin, as he proceeded to sneeze on the prince.

" _Merlin_ ," cried Arthur as he looked down at his shirt that now bore evidence of Merlin's sneeze. "That's _disgusting_!"

"Oh, my goodness. I'm so sorry Arthur. It just that you startled me and I was trying not to sneeze and well …. I sneezed," he finished sheepishly. And then sneezed again, fortunately managing to turn away before any more damage could be done to Arthur's person.

"You're just lucky I haven't changed for the feast yet," responded the prince as he stepped back a couple of paces and began trying to pull off his shirt without touching it.

Merlin followed the blond into the room, said, "Here, let me," and managed to pull off the shirt in one swift movement. He bundled it up and threw it into the small laundry basket that sat at the side of the wardrobe. "I'll get that cleaned first thing tomorrow," he said as he sneezed again.

"Merlin, are you feeling unwell?" asked Arthur as he watched his servant blow his nose with a handkerchief he'd conjured up from somewhere.

"I'm fine, it's just a bit of a cold," responded Merlin as he tucked the cloth back into the small pouch at his side. "Now, what would you like to wear to the feast?"

Once Arthur was dressed, the two men made their way to the Great Hall. "Now, listen Merlin," said Arthur as he glanced over at the young warlock. "This feast is an important event, and _nothing_ can go wrong. So try not to drop anything, or spill anything, or _sneeze_ on anything."

Arthur was actually feeling quite sorry for the younger man; he looked miserable and while he seemed to have the sneezing under control, Merlin's voice was quickly disappearing.

"I'll be extra careful tonight, Arthur; don't worry," rasped the young man.

It was another long night for the now-ill warlock. There were speeches before the meal, speeches during the meal and speeches after the meal. The meal itself was splendid, but consisted of not less than five different courses. And during it all, Merlin was forced to stand still and quiet behind Arthur's chair, except when he was filling wine goblets.

As the evening wore on, Merlin found himself fighting to stay awake. The cold, while not serious, was draining his energy and at one point he was afraid he'd fall asleep where he stood.

Once the meal and speeches were completed, it was time for the entertainment. A troupe of jongleurs was to perform and everyone was looking forward to seeing them. Merlin was helping to clear the tables when Arthur approached him. He placed a hand on Merlin's forearm and took the tray that was in his other hand and set it on the nearby table.

"Merlin," he said, "you're done. I won't need your services any more tonight, so why don't you head back to your rooms and get some rest. You look ready to drop. I'll see you bright and early in the morning, though, as we'll have to say goodbye to our guests."

"Are you sure, Arthur? I don't mind staying," responded Merlin.

"No, no; it's fine Merlin. Get some rest and I'll see you in the morning."

"Thank you, Arthur," rasped the young man as he made his way towards the door and his bed. "Thank you."

* * *

It was well after the deep watch bell when Arthur was making his way along Camelot's hallways. After the feast had ended, he and his five new friends had relocated to The Rising Sun, where they'd enjoyed some ale and a few dice games. He had just left Pytor and Kendrick at their room and was heading towards his own chambers when a movement caught his eye.

Looking down the long hallway, Arthur just caught a glimpse of white that disappeared along an intersecting corridor. He knew it wasn't one of the guards, because they certainly didn't wear anything white. Then who was it? Lengthening his stride, Arthur made it to the intersection to see someone turning to the left along another hallway just up ahead. Curious, Arthur followed.

As he rounded the corner, to his surprise he could see that the figure ahead of him was Merlin. Even odder, the young man was wandering around wearing only his shirt and trousers, with nothing on his feet. Arthur quietly hissed "Merlin", but he was obviously too far away to be heard because the young man's steps never faltered. A turn to the right, and Merlin disappeared down another hallway.

Arthur hurried his pace trying to catch up with his servant. _What is he doing wandering around at this hour_? wondered the prince. _I told him to go back to his rooms and get some rest._

Arthur reached the turning where Merlin had disappeared and when he stepped into the corridor he saw the dark-haired servant standing in front of a large door. They were now in the section of the castle where some of the oldest, and now retired, knights had rooms. _What can he be doing?_

Arthur watched at Merlin's hand came up and knocked on the door. Only, his knuckles never actually made contact with the wood. After a few moments of silence, Arthur could hear Merlin whispering and then he began to make movements like he was searching for something in a bag. Only, he wasn't carrying any bag. With a smile, Merlin held out his hand and seemed to hand something over to whomever he thought was standing in front of him. With a clear "Good night," Merlin then turned away and continued down the hall.

Arthur stood, frozen, while he watched his servant continue down the hallway and then take the next left turning.

"What in the world?" he whispered as he practically ran down the hall after Merlin. As he passed by the door where Merlin had conducted his pantomime, Arthur could clearly hear loud snoring coming from within the room. He knew that these rooms belonged to Sir Oswin, the oldest retired knight in Camelot. He had long been in service to Uther and it was only when his eyesight began to fade that he was given these rooms and the opportunity to enjoy the rest of his life in peace. What Merlin would want with Sir Oswin, Arthur had no idea.

By the time Arthur had located his wandering manservant, the young man had obviously just finished another one of his odd visits and was preparing to move on. It was only when he caught up with Merlin and saw that he had been standing in front of his old nurse Lady Edith's rooms that the prince finally figured out what was happening.

Merlin was obviously making deliveries of medicines for Gaius. Or, well, at least the younger man was _acting_ like he was making deliveries. However, the blank, unseeing look on Merlin's face, the lack of bag or medicines and his non-responsiveness led Arthur to finally understand that his servant was sleepwalking.

Arthur vaguely recalled Gaius once telling him that it was not a good idea to wake a sleepwalker, but before he could decide how to best get Merlin back to his rooms, the young man had continued on his journey, only to stop two doors further down. Arthur followed closely, not wanting to lose sight of his servant while he worked out what to do.

Once again, Merlin "knocked" on the door and then smiled at someone. He rummaged in the non-existent bag at his side and then proceeded to hand over something to the person he was speaking with. He distinctly heard Merlin say, "You must take this three times a day with food," and then the young man turned away.

"This has got to stop," said Arthur as he calmly approached the dark-haired servant who was now standing still in the middle of the hallway, almost as if he was deciding where to go next.

"Merlin," said Arthur as he stepped in front of the other man. "I think you're finished for the night."

Merlin stared blankly at Arthur, but answered quite clearly, "I still have more deliveries to make. I was supposed to do them earlier, but didn't. I don't want to disappoint Gaius again."

"I'm sure Gaius won't be disappointed," responded Arthur. "Besides, it's getting late and you don't want to disturb people at their sleep, do you?"

Merlin pondered that thought for a few moments, said, "All right," and then turned back the way he had come.

"Where are you going?" asked Arthur in a bit of a panic.

"Back to my room."

"Well, at least you're heading in the right direction," murmured Arthur as he kept pace with his servant. The two young men were quiet as they traversed the halls and eventually made it back to Gaius' and Merlin's shared chambers.

Once they stood in front of the scarred wooden door, Merlin seemed to lose awareness. He knees buckled and he would have landed in a heap on the ground had Arthur not had such excellent reflexes. He managed to catch Merlin around the waist and with one foot he kicked at the door, hoping that Gaius would hear him.

It took a few moments and another kick to the door before he heard movement from inside the room and Gaius calling, "One moment."

The physician opened the door and stared in shock at Arthur standing there with Merlin unconscious in his arms.

"Arthur! What happened?" asked Gaius as he pulled the door wide open and ushered Arthur into the room.

"Merlin's fine," responded Arthur, "Just let me get him back to bed and I'll tell you what happened." Arthur manhandled his servant up the steps and lowered him to his bed. He even took the time to cover him with a blanket before he returned to the lower room where Gaius was waiting impatiently.

"So," said Arthur as he crossed the floor, "how long has Merlin sleepwalked?"

"Ohhh," breathed Gaius, "so _that's_ what happened. Here, sit down Arthur, and I'll tell you what I know."

As the two men settled themselves on the benches, Gaius told Arthur all he knew about Merlin's sleepwalking episodes. There hadn't been many since his arrival at Camelot but Gaius knew from Hunith that they had been rather common occurrences when Merlin was still living in Ealdor. Gaius knew that Merlin was rather embarrassed that he was prone to the activity, so he had never said anything to the younger man the few times it had happened.

"…. and so", concluded Gaius, "I've at least been able to determine that the only times Merlin sleepwalks is when he is both overtired and feeling anxious or guilty about something that he hasn't … done … oh dear."

"What?" asked Arthur.

"Well, I'm afraid this time is partly my fault – I asked Merlin to make some deliveries for me a few days ago and he's not had any time. Even though I told him it was fine, you know what he's like. He was obviously feeling guilty for not getting them done … in fact, he almost said me as much this afternoon. And I'm sure the cold he caught didn't help any. It wouldn't have allowed him to slip into the deep, restful sleep that he so needs."

Arthur looked thoughtful for a few moments and said, "And I'm sure my demands on his time these past days didn't help either. I should have realized that I was asking too much of him. But why wouldn't he _say_ something?"

"Well, you know Merlin. He doesn't like to disappoint."

Arthur and Gaius sat in silence for a few moments, each thinking about Merlin, his readiness to help in any manner he could and the way he never really complained about anything.

"Well," said Arthur, as he stood, "it's late and I've disturbed you enough, Gaius. I'm off to find my bed. I'll be back in the morning to check on my wayward servant, but if he happens to rise before I arrive, would you please tell him he's to wait for me here."

"Of course, Arthur. Goodnight," said Gaius as the prince left the room, silently closing the door behind him.

* * *

Early the next morning, Arthur made his way through the castle towards the physician's chambers. When he'd arrived at his rooms the previous evening, he'd thought long and hard about what to say to Merlin about his sleepwalking. Obviously the situation couldn't continue, because it was only a matter of time before Merlin fell down the stairs, or wandered out into the rain, or did something equally dangerous while on one of his sojourns. It was all due to Merlin's stubbornness. He had to stop running himself into the ground, and Arthur was going to make sure his servant listened to him.

He arrived at Gaius' door, knocked and entered when he heard Gaius call, "Come in."

"Good morning, Arthur," said Gaius as he stepped over towards the fire and picked up a pot of boiling water. "Merlin's not up yet, but I've heard some movement so I expect him to be down in a couple of moments. Would you like some tea?"

Arthur was just about to respond when the door to Merlin's room flew open and the man himself appeared in the doorway, dressed but looking rather frazzled. "Gaius, you let me oversleep! I'm late to bring Arthur … his …" The young man's voice trailed away as he realized that the prince was standing beside Gaius at the fire place.

"Arthur, I'm so sorry; I overslept and I know there's no excuse," the young man hurriedly began to explain.

"Merlin, don't go on so. I'm not upset. Please, sit down. We have to talk," said Arthur before he turned back to Gaius and said, "Tea would be lovely, thank you."

Merlin quickly sat down at the table, wringing his fingers together nervously and staring at the scratched and worn tabletop.

"Merlin, look at me," said Arthur firmly once he had seated himself across from his manservant.

Merlin looked up at Arthur and was surprised to see compassion and understanding in the other man's face, rather than the usual exasperation or annoyance. "I'm not upset with you, so don't worry so. But … you must know that I saw you last night walking around the hallways long after I had told you to seek your bed."

Merlin flushed bright red and said, "Oh no! Not again. I thought I'd finally outgrown the habit. Arthur, Gaius, I have to tell you that occasionally I … um … well, I sleepwalk. I don't know why. Well, I mean, I know _why_ … but I've not had any episodes since I arrived at Camelot so I thought I had finally left it behind. But I suppose not," he concluded glumly. _Well, no episodes since yesterday afternoon_ , he thought. B _ut that one can't really count, can it? After all, I woke before I could wander off._

Gaius sat down beside his ward and placed a gentle hand on the young man's arm. "Merlin, last night was not your first episode. It's happened a couple of times since your arrival. I grew concerned enough after the second event that I wrote to Hunith and she explained it all to me. I didn't want to say anything because I knew it embarrassed you."

"Previously, I've been able to stop you before you made it to the door, but I was so tired yesterday evening that I didn't hear you leave. Fortunately Arthur saw you and brought you back. I'm sorry, my boy, but I had to explain to him what was going on."

"It's all right, Gaius. I understand. It's just … I'm so embarrassed." Poor Merlin was more than embarrassed, he was _mortified_ that his habit he tried so hard to control had once again manifested itself, and with witnesses!

"Merlin, there's nothing to be embarrassed about," said Arthur firmly. Gaius and I spoke a little bit last night, and he was able to explain to me that it seems you only sleepwalk when you're overtired and feeling guilty because you've not been able to do something someone has asked of you."

Merlin looked slightly surprised at hearing the reason for his nightly walks. He had figured out long ago that it happened when he was exhausted or worn out, but he hadn't realized that guilt played into it as well. Still, nice as it was to know his triggers, he was unsure as to how to control it so it didn't happen again.

"So that's why you are going to promise me something," continued Arthur. "I don't always realize how much I ask of you, so you have to promise to let me know when you feel like you're reaching your breaking point. I can't help you if I don't know how you're feeling. For my part, I promise that I will never get angry at you for telling me that you need to get some rest."

Merlin's eyes lightened and the worry lines across his brow faded as he listened to Arthur. Not only was Arthur not upset, he was actively seeking ways to help and that act of caring made Merlin feel much better about the whole situation.

"Do you promise, Merlin?" asked Arthur in a serious tone.

Merlin smiled broadly at Arthur and said, "I promise, Arthur. And thank you."

"You are very welcome, Merlin. Now, here's what you are going to do today. You are going to come with me to say goodbye to our guests. I noticed that you and Kendrick have become quite friendly, so it would be rude not to be there to see them off. Then, you are going to come back here, you are going to take whatever medicines Gaius thinks you need to help clear up your cold, and then you are going to get some rest. In fact, I don't want to see you until it's time to get ready for dinner tonight."

"All right Arthur. I will do exactly as you command," responded Merlin with a grin.

" _Exactly as I command_ , hmm? Seems like there's a first time for everything!" said Arthur jokingly. "And, I can promise you an early night, because _I_ was up until all hours yesterday trailing after my servant as he wandered up and down the castle hallways and then was forced to haul him back to bed."

Gaius watched the two men fondly as they exited the room, laughing and joking. Theirs was a strong friendship built on a foundation of caring and concern and it warmed Gaius' heart to see it.

* * *

A/N: And so we come to the end of Merlin's adventures in sleepwalking. I want to thank everyone who read, reviewed and favourited this story ... it means so much to me. And special thanks once again to the best beta ever, sarajm, whose comments and input made the ending of this story much stronger and satisfying than it was originally.


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